War is driving demand for munitions, and the fibres from cotton seeds are used to produce artillery shells. With only a few producers, demand is soaring.

In this monthly round-up, Al Majalla surveys the latest releases from Arab and international cinema, from arthouse to blockbuster and everything in between

Al Majalla offers political and economic analysis about how we got here and what the future may hold

The US is betting that a sustained blockade can force Iran to make concessions on Hormuz. Iran is betting that rising economic pressure from the strait's closure will force the US to blink first.

Any agreement that restores traffic through the strait will bring immediate relief, but repairing the damage wrought by war—and restoring confidence—will take far longer

A bit of both. It enabled its rise as a regional power, then helped weaken it, and may now help prevent its complete defeat.

The Iran war did more than send oil prices higher. It repeatedly forced markets to reassess the risks with every dispute, agreement or period of deadlock in a conflict shaped by US and Israeli…

As states race to embed algorithms in systems of reconnaissance, targeting, air defence, and military decision-making, a new layer of risk is taking shape

As Yemen's Houthi militants activate a new maritime front, Islamabad may be compelled to play a more proactive role in regional security

Where social media offers magic solutions, the real world delivers slammed doors